Maurice de Mauriac

Although Switzerland has long been associated with luxury watches, it’s a little surprising to discover that barely any are made in Zurich. Former New York banker Daniel Dreifuss set out to change that when he decided on a career change, leaving high-flying finance behind him and instead devoting his time to, well, time, setting up a business to build and sell incredible mechanical watches. Daniel still owns the business and still works on-site at the charming atelier, alongside his sons. It’s a highly personalised and friendly service (the polar opposite of many of the bigger, corporate Bahnhoffstrasse stores nearby) and Daniel and team go to great lengths to talk to customers and find out exactly what they’re looking for. There are plenty of stylish choices in shop’s collections or you can have a bespoke watch crafted for you from scratch. Either way, you’ll be getting a mighty fine timepiece from a true family business.